Written: October 10, 2026 · Updated: October 10, 2026

This guide summarizes official announcements and is not a firsthand visit review. Character illustrations are GPT-generated.

2026 Masan Gagopa Chrysanthemum Festival Dates, Venues, Parking – 100,000 Mums with Kids

26th Masan Gagopa Chrysanthemum Festival (마산가고파국화축제) Poster — Oct 31, 2026 (Sat)–Nov 8, 2026 (Sun), 3·15 Haeyang Nuri Park / Happo Waterfront Park / Marine New Town (Photo: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 3)

It’s the season when the Masan seaside
fills with the scent of chrysanthemums 🌼

The 26th Masan Gagopa Chrysanthemum Festival (마산가고파국화축제)
runs from October 31 (Sat) to November 8 (Sun)
for 9 days, centered on 3·15 Haeyang Nuri Park,
with Happo Waterfront Park and Masan Marine New Town.

This year’s theme is
”Chrysanthemums Embrace the Autumn Sea.”
Admission is free,
and it runs from 10:00 to 22:00.

I’ve summarized Changwon city’s press releases
and the Ministry of Culture’s festival listing.

🎪 What Kind of Festival Is It?

past festival — Festival visitors filling the coastal park walking trail (Photo: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 3)

past festival — Parade procession passing between chrysanthemum installations (Photo: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 3)

It’s Changwon’s signature autumn festival,
held since 2000
to promote Masan chrysanthemums.

According to the Ministry of Culture,
in 1961 six farms in Hoewon-dong, Masan,
became the first in Korea to grow chrysanthemums commercially,
and in 1972 Masan made Korea’s first chrysanthemum export to Japan.

🗺️ Three Festival Venues

This year the festival expands all the way to Masan Marine New Town,
split across three venues.

Venue 3 is a newly created space
focused on programs for young people.
The city describes these programs
as “planned to be presented.”

✨ What Is There to See?

past festival — Offshore installation and waterfront park fireworks (Photo: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 3)

past festival — Offshore bridge glowing with nighttime lights and fireworks spelling out words (Photo: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 3)

The main exhibition site, 3·15 Haeyang Nuri Park,
hosts displays in 8 themes
made with 100,000 chrysanthemums.

New this year is a night program,
the nakhwa fire show over the sea, held here too.

The Ministry of Culture listing also mentions
the Gukhyang Song Festival, Indie Music Festa, local artists’ performances,
a chrysanthemum bonsai exhibition, chrysanthemum dance cheerleading,
and hands-on programs.

🎭 What Is the Chrysanthemum Costume Contest?

It’s a contest where citizens show off
chrysanthemums and Changwon in costumes of their own design.

Applications are taken online until October 18,
and the 10 finalist teams chosen in the preliminary round
perform on stage at the festival wearing their costumes.
Prizes are judged on theme expression, creativity, stage presence,
audience response and more.
The date of the final has not been announced yet.

🍢 Food and the Gukhwa Pass

For the Food Place, the city is working to bring in
chefs who appeared on the tvN cooking show
”Street Restaurant Fighter.”

Every vendor booth must display price, origin, quantity
and payment methods,
and price gougers are removed after a single violation.

🚗 Getting There & Parking

Parking grows from last year’s 4,500 spaces
to 5,500 spaces, an increase of 1,000.
Temporary restrooms also increase from 5 to 9 locations.

At a preparation meeting on September 30, the city
discussed traffic, environmental cleanup and restaurant hygiene measures,
and will manage safety together with police, fire and coast guard.

However, parking lot locations and fees,
and bus or shuttle information, are not yet in the official announcements.

👨‍👩‍👧 If You’re Visiting with Kids

The city says every area of the festival
will have barrier-free routes
that are easy for wheelchairs and strollers.

There are also reusable-container zones,
as the festival works to cut single-use waste.

⏳ Not Yet Announced

□ Opening ceremony time
□ Dates and times of the fireworks and nakhwa fire show
□ Date of the costume contest final
□ Parking lot locations, fees, shuttles
□ Dates of linked events such as the dragon boat race
□ Operation in case of rain

These details are not yet in the official announcements.
I’ll update this article when they come out.

If you have questions, contact the Masan Chrysanthemum Festival Committee
at 055-225-2341.

👍 Recommended for These Families

✔ Families who want to see chrysanthemums with a stroller
✔ Families curious about seaside fireworks and the nakhwa fire show
✔ Families looking for a late-autumn outing in Changwon or Masan

From chrysanthemum displays by the sea to night programs,
this is a free chrysanthemum festival running for 9 days.

This article is based on official information, organized before visiting in person. Event photos are from the Korea Tourism Organization, released under KOGL Type 3 (attribution, no derivatives) and shown unedited. The character illustrations are GPT-generated.

📷 The festival in photos 11

‹ 1 / 11 ›

Swipe to see more

AI-assisted translation. Numbers and article structure were checked against the Korean original on 2026-10-10. This is not a new verification of the event announcements. Original post (Korean)